Tips to safely Gill Out in a pandemic

Here at The Current we love to share our favorite restaurants with you in the form of our recurring feature, “Gill Out.” In light of new guidelines and policies in place, we want to make sure we’re all staying responsible and respectful when visiting our favorite eateries. Stay tuned for our restaurant spotlights in our upcoming issues — maybe you’ll find your new favorite spot to safely “Gill Out” with us.

With the loosening of some restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants are once again open for business, albeit at a smaller capacity. For those of you who want to “Gill Out” and enjoy the restaurants featured in our biweekly articles that highlight local restaurants, here are some tips to safely dine out.

Is the environment healthy?

One thing you have to look for when you go out to eat is if the restaurant is safe to eat at. Does the restaurant offer outdoor seating? Is there adequate spacing between tables? Is the staff wearing masks and are they wearing them properly? Is the restaurant overly crowded? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before you decide to order, and if it is not up to standards or you are not comfortable eating there, then find another restaurant. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is less risk for “on-site dining limited to outdoor seating” with “seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least six feet apart.” The risk is significantly increased with the use of indoor seating and even more so with no capacity restrictions or spacing.

Remember to keep track of how much time you spend around other people, both ones you know and complete strangers. Take precautions to not spend too much time in crowded indoor spaces. If you have to go out serif well-spaced outdoor venues are an option. For example, instead of going to big chain stores try smaller locally owned stores. Be careful with what you do when you go out and where you go out. Keep an eye out for those around you and make sure to address boundaries when necessary. If someone encroaches on your personal space, politely ask them to move. If someone approaches you without a mask, ask them to either move back to to put on a mask.

Resources for local restaurants

If you have a restaurant in mind that you want to eat at, a great way to find out how they are following COVID-19 regulations is to visit their website, if they have one, or call ahead with any question you have. If you aren’t sure what you want to eat, the town of Davie’s website has a restaurant outreach program set up to highlight what local businesses are doing to still provide their services. Many local restaurants are available for takeout and pickup, as well as delivery through apps like Doordash, Uber Eats, GrubHub and Postmates.

A full list of the restaurants in this program can be found at https://www.davie-fl.gov/1285/Davie-Restaurants-Offering-PickupDeliver

In general, just be careful and keep up to date on local and national advisories on COVID-19. Make sure you are doing all that you can to keep yourself from getting sick. Wear your mask, and when you have to take it off, be careful of where you put it. Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and make sure to monitor if you have any symptoms.

***List***

Check out some of the local restaurants we’ve reviewed in the past by clicking on the links. Visit each restaurant’s website for their most up-to-date policies and hours.

Mama Tofu

6467 Stirling Road, Davie, FL 33314

https://nsucurrent.nova.edu/2020/03/10/gill-out-mama-tofu/

Boulevard Kitchen + Juice Bar

701 E Broward Blvd Suite F, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

https://nsucurrent.nova.edu/2019/09/10/places-to-gill-out-boulevard-kitchen/

La Mexicana Tapas & Taqueria

2430 NE 13th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305

https://nsucurrent.nova.edu/2019/02/05/gill-out-la-mexicana-tapas-taqueria/

The Magic Cow

4298 S. University Drive, Davie, Fl 33328

https://nsucurrent.nova.edu/2019/02/19/gill-out-the-magic-cow/